TUCSON, Ariz. — Tucson fire station number 8, the busiest in the city, received a new engine.
"Station 8 just received a new engine along with Station 5, Station 11 and Station 13," said Battalion Chief, Barrett Baker.
The new equipment: wireless headsets, spacious cabins, 'jaws of life' devices, even a back up cam.
All of it paid for using funds from prop 101, a five year plan, or the 'Tucson Delivers' plan.
The engines are replacing others that logged over 100,000 miles and it's easy to add miles on trucks, with our cameras rolling, fire crews were called to two medical emergencies.
"When we're talking about that reliability issue with that older fleet," Baker said.
"When you get passed that 100,000 mile marker, when you get past the 10 year marker, the reliability of the fleet goes down."
Baker says it's inevitable that maintenance on the older trucks takes time away serving the city.
"To go from a vehicle that was obviously breaking down more often having to go into reserve, that takes time, that takes man hours."
Barrett adds that having the right equipment, in good shape, and functioning ultimately puts crews in a better place to respond to emergencies.
"Having the newest equipment that is the safest equipment, that helps us perform at the high level and can count on 100% of the time, that's what the citizens deserve and this will help us perform that."
